Vertical power unit and outboard engine system

ABSTRACT

A vertical power unit includes: an engine having a vertically arranged crankshaft; a vertically arranged output shaft provided below the crankshaft; and a torque converter providing a connection between the crankshaft and the output shaft. The torque converter is arranged so as to be offset from the crankshaft toward a cylinder block of the engine. A transmission device is provided between the crankshaft and the torque converter. The output shaft is arranged coaxially with the torque converter. Thus, the center of gravity of the vertical power unit is positioned as close as possible to the central portion of the engine, thereby minimizing bias of the center of gravity due to the weight of the torque converter and the output shaft to facilitate the handling of the vertical power unit.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

The present invention is based upon Japanese priority application No. 2006-145962, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an improvement of a vertical power unit comprising: an engine which has a vertically arranged crankshaft; a vertically arranged output shaft provided below the crankshaft; and a torque converter which is disposed between the crankshaft and the output shaft, and transmits power from the crankshaft to the output shaft. The present invention also relates to an improvement of an outboard engine system comprising: a casing coupled to a swivel case via a swivel shaft; an engine mounted in an upper part of the casing such that a crankshaft of the engine is vertically arranged and a cylinder block of the engine faces in a direction opposite to the swivel shaft; a torque converter; a vertically arranged output shaft connected to the crankshaft through the torque converter; a horizontally arranged propeller shaft provided below the output shaft; and a forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism for providing a connection between the output shaft and the propeller shaft; the torque converter, the output shaft, the propeller shaft and the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism being disposed in the casing.

2. Description of the Related Art

Such an outboard engine systems is already known as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,600.

In the vertical power unit or outboard engine system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,600, although a crankshaft of an engine is arranged so as to be largely apart from the central portion of the engine toward one side, an output shaft and a torque converter having relatively large weight are arranged immediately below and coaxially with the crankshaft, and thus the center of gravity of the vertical power unit or outboard engine system is biased further toward the crankshaft, whereby it is difficult to handle the torque converter or the output shaft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been achieved in view of the above problem, and has an object to provide a vertical power unit which is easily handled by minimizing bias of the center of gravity due to the weight of a torque converter and a output shaft.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided a vertical power unit comprising: an engine which has a vertically arranged crankshaft; a vertically arranged output shaft provided below the crankshaft; and a torque converter which is disposed between the crankshaft and the output shaft, and transmits power from the crankshaft to the output shaft, wherein the torque converter is arranged so as to be offset from the crankshaft toward a cylinder block of the engine; a transmission device is provided between the crankshaft and the torque converter; and the output shaft is arranged coaxially with the torque converter.

With the first feature of the present invention, because the output shaft and the torque converter having relatively large weight are offset by a certain distance from the crankshaft toward the cylinder block, the center of gravity of the vertical power unit is arranged closer to the central portion of the engine, thereby facilitating the handling of the vertical power unit. Further, the power of the crankshaft is transmitted to the torque converter via the transmission device without any trouble.

According to a second feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the vertical power unit further comprises an oil reservoir case provided between the transmission device and the torque converter to receive a lubrication oil flowing down from the engine for lubricating the transmission device.

With the second feature of the present invention, because the oil reservoir case which houses the transmission device receives the oil having completed the lubrication of each portion of the engine, the oil can be also used for lubrication of the transmission device to secure the durability of the transmission device.

According to a third feature of the present invention, in addition to the second feature, the vertical power unit further comprises: an oil tank provided below the torque converter to store oil which is supplied to the engine; and an oil passage provided apart from the torque converter so as to return the oil in the oil reservoir case to the oil tank.

With the third feature of the present invention, the oil in the oil reservoir case returns to the oil tank without contact with an outer peripheral surface of the torque converter, thereby avoiding needless agitation and splash of the oil to minimize the power loss.

According to a fourth feature of the present invention, there is provided an outboard engine system comprising: a casing coupled to a swivel case via a swivel shaft; an engine mounted in an upper part of the casing such that a crankshaft of the engine is vertically arranged and a cylinder block of the engine faces in a direction opposite to the swivel shaft; a torque converter; a vertically arranged output shaft connected to the crankshaft through the torque converter; a horizontally arranged propeller shaft provided below the output shaft; and a forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism for providing a connection between the output shaft and the propeller shaft; the torque converter, the output shaft, the propeller shaft and the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism being disposed in the casing, wherein the torque converter is arranged so as to be offset from the crankshaft toward a cylinder block of the engine; a transmission device is provided between the crankshaft and the torque converter; and the output shaft is arranged coaxially with the torque converter.

With the fourth feature of the present invention, because the output shaft and the torque converter having relatively large weight are offset by a certain distance from the crankshaft toward the cylinder block, the center of gravity of the outboard engine system is arranged closer to the central part of the engine in the front-rear direction, thereby facilitating the handling of the outboard engine system. Especially the arrangement in which the torque converter and the output shaft are offset by a certain distance from the crankshaft toward the cylinder block means that the crankshaft is offset from the torque converter and the output shaft toward the swivel shaft. Thus, the center of gravity of the engine correspondingly gets closer to the swivel shaft, thereby providing a smooth steering of the outboard engine system about the swivel shaft.

Further, the power of the crankshaft is transmitted to the torque converter via the transmission device without any trouble.

The above-mentioned object, other objects, characteristics, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a preferred embodiment, which will be described in detail below by reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outboard engine system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the portion 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the essential portions of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the portion 4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a hydraulic circuit including an oil pump.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1, an outboard engine system O includes a casing 1 which has a water-cooled multi-cylinder four-stroke engine E mounted in its upper portion, and supports a propeller shaft 3 at its lower portion. The propeller shaft 3 has a propeller 2 provided at its rear end. A vertically-extending swivel shaft 6 is mounted to the casing 1 via an upper arm 4 and a lower arm 5 so as to situate in front of the casing 1. The swivel shaft 6 is rotatably supported by a swivel case 7 which is coupled to a stern bracket 8 via a horizontally-extending tilt shaft 9. The stern bracket 8 is cramped to a transom Bt of a body of a ship. Therefore, the casing 1 is horizontally rotatable around the swivel shaft 6, and vertically tiltable around the tilt shaft 9. The reference numeral Ef denotes a removable engine hood for covering the engine E.

In FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the above casing 1 includes the extension case 10, the mount case 11 bolt-coupled to an upper end of the extension case 10, and a gear case 12 bolt-coupled to a lower end of the extension case 10. The extension case 10 includes an upper case 10 a and a lower case 10 b bolt-coupled to the upper case 10 a. The mount case 11 is bolt-coupled to an upper end surface of the upper case 10 a.

The casing 1 further includes annular lower distance members 13, an bearing bracket 14, and annular upper distance members 15, which are sequentially superimposed on the upper end of the mount case 11. The engine E is mounted to the upper distance member 15 with the crankshaft 17 being vertically arranged and the cylinder block 18 facing rearward. The bearing bracket 14 and upper distance member 15 are secured to the cylinder block 18 and a bottom wall of the crankcase 19 of the engine E by a plurality of bolts 16 ₁. The lower distance member 13, the bearing bracket 14, and the upper distance member 15 are secured to one another by a plurality of bolts 16 ₂.

In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a transmission device 81 is arranged in an oil reservoir case 24 so as to be connected to the crankshaft 17; a torque converter T is vertically arranged in the annular upper distance member 15 so as to be connected to the transmission device 81; and an output shaft 20 is vertically arranged in the extension case 10 so as be connected to the torque converter T. In this structure, the torque converter T is arranged so that its axis is offset by a certain distance e from the crankshaft 17 toward the cylinder block 18, and the output shaft 20 is arranged on the axis line of the torque converter T.

The gear case 12 horizontally supports the propeller shaft 3 having the propeller 2 at its rear end, and houses a forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism 21 connecting the propeller shaft 3 to the output shaft 20.

In operation of the engine E, the power thereof is transmitted from the crankshaft 17 to the output shaft 20 via the transmission device 81 and the torque converter T, and further to the propeller shaft 3 via the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism 21, thereby driving the propeller 2. The rotational direction of the propeller 2 is controlled and switched by the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism 21.

In the extension case 10, an oil tank 22 open to the mount case 11 is integrally formed with the upper case 10 a of the extension case 10. The oil tank 22 stores oil 23 which is used in both lubrication of the engine E and operation of the torque converter T. A downstream end 90 of an exhaust gas passage of the engine E is integrally formed with the upper case 10 a.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the transmission device 81 comprises a drive gear 81 a and a follower gear 81 b. The drive gear 81 a is secure through a plurality of bolts 82 to a lower end of the crankshaft 17. The follower gear 81 b is supported by a ball bearing 84 at a position offset by the certain distance e from an axis of the crankshaft 17 toward the cylinder block 18, and is engaged with the drive gear 81 a. The follower gear 81 b integrally has an axis portion which passes through a bottom wall of the oil reservoir case 24. A drive plate 31 having a diameter larger than that of the torque converter T is secured to a lower end of the axis portion of the follower gear 81 b by a plurality of bolts 32 ₂. An oil seal 85 is mounted to the oil reservoir case 24 so as to closely contact an outer peripheral surface of the axis portion.

The torque converter T includes a pump impeller 25, a turbine runner 26 arranged above the pump impeller 25 and opposed to the pump impeller 25, a stator 27 arranged between the inner peripheral portions of the pump impeller 25 and the turbine runner 26, and a circulation circuit 28 of working oil which is defined between these three impellers 25 to 27. The pump impeller 25 integrally includes a transmission cover 29 for covering an upper surface of the turbine runner 3. A ring gear 30 for starting operation is secured to an outer peripheral surface of the transmission cover 29. The ring gear 30 is secured to the drive plate 31 by a plurality of third bolts.

A cup-shaped supporting cylinder 34 is secured to a central part of the transmission cover 29. The supporting cylinder 34 is fitted into a supporting hole 33 which is open to the central part of the lower end surface of the follower gear 81 b. The output shaft 20 has an upper end which extends to the inside of the supporting cylinder 34 and is supported in the supporting cylinder 34 via a bearing bush 35. A hub of the turbine runner 26 is spline-coupled to the output shaft 20. A hollow stator shaft 37 is arranged around the outer periphery of the output shaft 20 so as to be supported by the output shaft 20 via a needle bearing 36. A known free wheel 38 is interposed between the stator shaft 37 and a hub of the stator 27.

As described above, the torque converter T is arranged so that its axis is offset by the certain distance e from the crankshaft 17 toward the cylinder block 18, and the output shaft 20 is arranged on the axis line of the torque converter T. Thus, the engine E, the transmission device 81, the torque converter T, and the output shaft 20 constitute the vertical power unit.

A hollow pump shaft 39 is arranged at the outer periphery of the stator shaft 37. The hollow pump shaft 39 is integrally coupled to the pump impeller 25 and extends downward. The pump shaft 39 is supported by the bearing bracket 14 via an upper ball bearing 43 on the side of the outer periphery. An oil pump 41 driven at the lower end portion of the pump shaft 39 is attached to a pump housing 40 formed at a lower surface of the bearing bracket 14. A pump cover 42 covering a lower surface of the oil pump 41 is bolt-coupled to a lower surface of the bearing bracket 14. An oil seal 45 is attached to an upper end portion of the bearing bracket 14 such that its lip is in close contact with an outer peripheral surface of the pump shaft 39 at a position immediately above the ball bearing 43.

The stator shaft 37 has a large diameter portion 37 a at its lower end. A flange 37 b is integrally formed on an outer periphery of the large diameter portion 37 a. The flange 37 b is secured to the pump cover 42 by a bolt 46. A lower ball bearing 44 is mounted to its inner periphery of the flange 37 b so as to support the output shaft 20.

A thrust needle bearing 47 is interposed between the pump impeller 25 and the hub of the stator 27. A thrust needle bearing 48 is interposed between the hub of the turbine runner 26 and the transmission cover 29.

The oil pump 41 draws up the oil stored in the oil tank 22, and supplies the oil to the engine E and the torque converter T. The route of the oil discharged by the oil pump 41 will be described below with reference to FIG. 5.

The oil pump 41 draws up the oil 23 stored in the oil tank 22 via an oil suction passage 50, and discharges the oil 23 to a first oil supply passage 51. The oil discharged to first oil supply passage 51 is filtered by an oil filter 53 provided in the middle of the first oil supply passage 51, and supplied to a lubricated portion of the engine E. After the lubrication, the oil flows downward to the bottom portion of the crankcase 19 of the engine E, and returns to the oil tank 22 via the first oil return passage 59.

The oil discharged to the first oil supply passage 51 is also supplied to a circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T via a second oil supply passage 52 which is a branch from the first oil supply passage 51 upstream of the oil filter 53. After being used in the circulation circuit 28, the oil is returned to the oil suction passage 50 or the oil tank 22 via a second oil return passage 54.

An oil relief passage 55 is another branch from the first oil supply passage 51 upstream of the oil filter 53, and reaches the oil suction passage 50. The oil relief passage 55 has a pressure relief valve 56 which opens when an oil pressure of the first oil supply passage 51 exceeds a specified value.

The second oil supply passage 52 has an orifice 57 for controlling the amount of the oil supplied to the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T. The second oil return passage 54 also has a normally-closed pressure response valve 58 which opens when an oil pressure upstream of the second oil return passage 54 exceeds a predetermined value.

Thus, when the pressure of the first oil supply passage 51 is regulated by the single pressure relief valve 56, the pressure of the second oil supply passage 52 is concurrently regulated, whereby the pressure of the circulation circuit 28 in the torque converter T is regulated, and the transmission characteristics of the torque converter T can be stabilized. In addition, the downstream end of the oil relief passage 55 is connected to the oil suction passage 50, whereby the oil released from the oil relief passage 55 is smoothly returned to the oil pump 41, thereby simplifying the oil pressure circuit.

Referring again to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the oil suction passage 50 is suspended from the bearing bracket 14, and includes a suction tube 50 a having a lower end portion extending into the oil tank 22, and a lateral oil passage 50 b which is provided in the bearing bracket 14 so as to communicate the upper end portion of the suction tube 50 a with a suction port 41 a of the oil pump 41.

The second oil supply passage 52 includes a bottomed vertical hole 52 b which is provided at a central portion of the output shaft 20 so as to open in the upper end surface of the output shaft 20, an inlet oil passage 52 a which is provided to pass through the fitted portions between the pump cover 42, the stator shaft 37 and the output shaft 20 so as to communicate a discharge port 41 b of the oil pump 41 with the lower portion of the vertical hole 52 b, and a horizontal hole 52 c which is provided at an upper part of the vertical hole 52 b so as to pass through the peripheral portion of the thrust needle bearing 48 into the transmission cover 29. The interior of the transmission cover 29 communicates with an outer peripheral portion of the circulation circuit 28.

The second oil return passage 54 includes a cylindrical oil passage 54 a which is defined between the output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37 and is in communication with the circulation circuit 28 through the peripheral portion of the thrust needle bearing 47 above the hub of the pump impeller 25, and a lateral outlet oil passage 54 b which is provided at the pump cover 42 to communicate with the lower end portion of the cylindrical oil passage 54 a. The outlet oil passage 54 b is in communication with the lateral oil passage 50 b via the pressure response valve 58.

The pressure response valve 58 includes a cylindrical valve chamber 60 horizontally provided in the pump cover 42, and a piston-type valve body 61 slidably fitted in the valve chamber 60. The outlet oil passage 54 b is open to the inner end surface of the valve chamber 60. A valve hole 62 is open in the inner side surface of the valve chamber 60 so as to communicate with the lateral oil passage 50 b or the oil tank 22. The valve body 61 is arranged so that its top surface, that is, pressure receiving surface is directed toward the outlet oil passage 54 b. The valve hole 62 is closed when the valve body 61 is advanced toward the outlet oil passage 54 b, and is opened when the valve body 61 is retracted. A valve spring 63 is arranged between the rear surface of the valve body 61 and the screw plug 64 screwed into the opening of the valve chamber 60 so as to urge the valve body 61 to the advancing direction, that is, to the valve closing direction. Therefore, the valve body 61 is normally held at its closed position by a set load of the valve spring 63 to thereby block the second oil return passage 54. When an oil pressure is generated upstream of the second oil return passage 54 and exceeds a predetermined value, the top surface of the valve body 61 receives the oil pressure, and the valve body 61 is caused to retract against the set load of the valve spring 63 to be opened, whereby the second oil return passage 54 enters a communicated state.

An opening 66 (see FIG. 2) is provided in a bottom wall of the crankcase 19 of the engine E. The oil having completed the lubrication of the engine E is discharged through the opening 66 into the oil reservoir case 24. A series of vertical through holes 67 are formed in outer peripheral portions of the oil reservoir case 24, and the upper distance member 15 and the bearing bracket 14 which are attached to the oil reservoir case 24. The through holes 67 cause the interior of the oil reservoir case 24 to be opened to a space above the mount case 11. The mount case 11 has an opening 68 which is open to the oil tank 22. Therefore, the oil which resides on the bottom portion of the crankcase 19 after completing the lubrication of the engine E, first moves from the opening 66 into the oil reservoir case 24 to lubricate the transmission device 81, and then returns to the oil tank 22 via the through holes 67 and the opening 68. The opening 66, the through holes 67, and the opening 68 form the first oil return passage 59.

In FIG. 3, a first seal member 70 ₁ is attached to the outer periphery of the stator shaft 37 so as to closely contacts the inner peripheral surface of the pump shaft 39 in a relatively rotatable manner, thereby preventing the oil in the torque converter T from flowing downward of the pump shaft 39.

A second seal member 70 ₂ is provided between the stator shaft 37 and the pump cover 42 at a position below the inlet oil passage 52 a, thereby preventing the oil in the inlet oil passage 52 a from flowing downward of the stator shaft 37 and the pump cover 42.

Third and fourth seal members 70 ₃ and 70 ₄ are provided around the outer periphery of the output shaft 20 in the fitted portions of the output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37 such that they are arranged in the vertical direction to closely contact from above and below the inner peripheral surface of the stator shaft 37 in a relatively rotatable manner. The third and fourth seal members 70 ₃ and 70 ₄ cooperate to prevent the oil in the inlet oil passage 52 a from flowing out of the fitted portions of the output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37. Further, the upper seal member 70 ₃ prevents the oil in the inlet oil passage 54 a from flowing downward to the fitted portions of the output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the output shaft 20 is divided into an upper output shaft 20 a having the vertical hole 52 b and supported by the lower ball bearing 44, and a lower output shaft 20 b coupled to the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism 21 (see FIG. 1). An upper end portion of the lower output shaft 20 b is supported via a bush 72 in a supporting sleeve 71 which is integrally formed with the outer side of the oil tank 22. The upper output shaft 20 a has a flange 73 which abuts on the upper end surface of an inner lace of the ball bearing 44 attached to the inner periphery of the large diameter portion 37 a of the stator shaft 37. A stopper collar 74 is locked to the inner peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 37 a so as to support the lower end surface of an outer lace of the ball bearing 44. Therefore, unless the stopper collar 74 is removed, the upper output shaft 20 a cannot be pulled out downward from the central portion of the torque converter T.

Besides the vertical hole 52 b, the upper output shaft 20 a has a plug hole 76 connected to the lower end of the vertical hole 52 b, and a spline hole 77 connected to the lower end of the plug hole 76 and open in the lower end surface of the upper output shaft 20 a. A plug 78 is screwed into the plug hole 76 to form the bottom wall of the vertical hole 52 b. The plug 78 has a part of the inlet oil passage 52 a, and the orifice 57 for communicating the inlet oil passage 52 a with the vertical hole 52 b. A fifth seal member 70 ₅ is attached to the plug 78 to closely contact the inner peripheral surface of the plug hole 76.

The inlet oil passage 52 a may be formed to bypass the plug 78.

A spline shaft 80 is formed at the upper end portion of the lower output shaft 20 b. The spline shaft 80 is fitted into the spline hole 77 to couples the upper and lower output shafts 20 a and 20 b to each other.

Now, operation of the first embodiment will be described below.

In operation of the engine E, its power is transmitted from the crankshaft 17 through the drive gear 81 a and the follower gear 81 b to the drive plate 31 and the pump impeller 25, thereby driving the pump impeller 25, and also driving the oil pump 41 through the pump shaft 39. The thus-driven oil pump 41 draws up the oil 23 in the oil tank 22 through the oil suction passage 50, that is, through the suction tube 50 a and the lateral oil passage 50 b, and discharges the drawn-up oil 23 to the first oil supply passage 51 and the second oil supply passage 52. The oil discharged to the first oil supply passage 51 is supplied to the lubricated portion of the engine E, as described above.

Meanwhile, the oil supplied to the second oil supply passage 52 sequentially passes through the inlet oil passage 52 a and the orifice 57; ascend through the vertical hole 52 b of the upper output shaft 20 a to go out of the horizontal hole 52 c; enters the transmission cover 29 while lubricating the thrust needle bearing 48; and then flows into the circulation circuit 28 from the outer peripheral side of the turbine runner 26.

The pump impeller 25 driven by the drive plate 31 causes the oil in the circulation circuit 28 to circulate, as shown by the arrows, thereby transmitting the rotational torque of the pump impeller 25 to the turbine runner 26 to drive the output shaft 20. At this time, if the torque is amplified between the pump impeller 25 and the turbine runner 26, the reaction force due to the amplification is borne by the stator 27, which is fixed there by the locking operation of the free wheel 38. Such a torque amplifying effect of the torque converter T strongly drives the propeller 2, thereby effectively improving start and acceleration of a ship.

After the amplification, the stator 27 rotates in the same direction together with the pump impeller 25 and the turbine runner 26 due to the reversal in direction of the torque which the stator 27 receives, while causing the freewheel 38 to run idle.

After being used at the circulation circuit 28, the oil runs down the cylindrical oil passage 54 a while lubricating the thrust needle bearing 47 above the hub of the pump impeller 25, and enters the valve chamber of the pressure response valve 58 from the outlet oil passage 54 b.

The oil having entered the valve chamber 60 exerts a pressure to press the valve body 61 of the pressure response valve 58 against the set load of the valve spring 63, whereby the valve body 61 is opened to open the valve hole 62, so that the oil returns from the valve chamber 60 through the valve hole 62 into the oil suction passage 50 or the oil tank 22. In this way, the oil circulates between the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T and the oil tank 22 arranged below the torque converter T through the second oil supply passage 52 and the second oil return passage 54. Therefore, it is possible to downsize the torque converter T, and promote the cooling of the circulating oil to prevent degradation of the oil.

In particular, since the oil tank 22 arranged below the torque converter T is separated from the engine E, the oil tank 22 is not much heated by the engine E, the oil tank 22 can have a relatively large capacity without any interference by the engine E and the torque converter T, and thus can increase the amount of oil flowing into the circulation circuit 28, thereby further promoting the cooling of the circulating oil. Further, the engine E, the torque converter T, and the oil tank 22 are sequentially arranged from top to bottom, thereby downsizing the outboard engine system O or the vertical power unit including these components.

Further, because the torque converter T having a relatively heavy weight and the output shaft 20 are arranged so as to be offset by the certain distance e from the crankshaft 17 toward the cylinder block 18, the center of gravity of the outboard engine system O or the vertical power unit can be close to the central part of the engine E in the front-rear direction, thereby facilitating the handling of the outboard engine system O or the vertical power unit. Especially in the case of the outboard engine system O, the arrangement in which the outboard engine system O or the vertical power unit is offset from the crankshaft 17 toward the cylinder block 18 means that the crankshaft 17 is offset from the torque converter T and the output shaft 20 toward the swivel shaft 6. That is, the center of gravity of the engine E correspondingly gets closer to the swivel shaft 6, thereby providing a smooth steering of the outboard engine system O about the swivel shaft 6.

Furthermore, the transmission device 81 providing a connection between the crankshaft 17 and the torque converter T that are arranged to be offset from each other is disposed in the oil reservoir case 24, which receives, through the opening 66 at the bottom portion of the crankcase 19, the oil having lubricated the respective components of the engine E. Therefore, the transmission device 81 is lubricated by the oil in the oil reservoir case 24, thereby securing the durability of the transmission device 81. The oil received in the oil reservoir case 24 flows through the through holes 67 down onto the mount case 11 and the amount of the oil residing in the oil reservoir case 24 is small, thereby suppressing the agitation of the oil because of the transmission device 81 to minimize the power loss. The amount of the oil residing in the oil reservoir case 24 can be set by selection of the inner diameter of the through holes 67.

The oil having flowed down, from the oil reservoir case 24 through the through holes 67, onto the mount case 11 returns to the oil tank 22 through the opening 68. Because the through holes 67 are provided away from the torque converter T toward the outer periphery, and the oil in the oil reservoir case 24 passes through the through holes 67, the contact of the oil with the outer peripheral surface of the torque converter T is avoided, thereby avoiding needless agitation and splash of the oil to minimize the power loss.

The oil discharged from the oil pump 41 for lubricating the engine E is also supplied to the circulation circuit 28, which eliminates any addition/expansion of the oil tank 22 and the oil pump 41 for supplying the oil to the circulation circuit 28, thereby avoiding an increase of size and complication of the outboard engine system O.

The elongated output shaft 20 is divided into two portions, that is, the upper output shaft 20 a and lower output shaft 20 b which are retractably spline-connected to each other. The upper output shaft 20 a is coupled to the stator shaft 37 in the axial direction via the lower ball bearing 44 and the stopper collar 74. Therefore, the torque converter T, the bearing bracket 14, the pump cover 42, and the upper output shaft 20 a are compactly incorporated into a single unit as a vertical power transmission without any interference by the lower output shaft 20 b, thereby facilitating assemblability of the vertical power transmission and mountability of the vertical fluid power transmission to the outboard engine system O.

Further, if the gear case 12 is separated from the extension case 10 for maintenance of the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism 21 for example, the lower output shaft 20 b can be separated downward together with the gear case 12 while the upper output shaft 20 a is remained on the torque converter T side, by pulling the spline shaft 80 of the lower output shaft 20 b out of the spline hole 77 of the upper output shaft 20 a. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform the maintenance of the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism 21, and further avoid disassembly of the vertical fluid power transmission to easily reassemble the gear case 12 into the system.

Furthermore, since the bottom wall of the vertical hole 52 as a part of the second oil supply passage 52 b, that is, the plug 78 is screwed into the upper output shaft 20 a of the vertical fluid power transmission, the oil is prevented from flowing out of the vertical hole 52 b and going downward of the upper output shaft 20 a. In this case, although the bottom wall of the vertical hole 52 b may be integrally formed with the upper output shaft 20 a, the vertical hole 52 b, the plug hole 76, and the spline hole 77 are arranged to axially pass through the upper output shaft 20 a if the plug 78 is used. Therefore, after processing of these holes, washing can advantageously reliably prevent cut chips from residing in these holes.

The same is true in the case where the engine E and the torque converter T are removed from the mount case 11, which facilitates maintenance of these components.

Moreover, the engine E is mounted to the mount case 11 via the bearing bracket 14 supporting the pump shaft 39 of the torque converter T, the upper distance member 15 connected to the upper end of the bearing bracket 14 to surround the torque converter T, and the lower distance member 13 connected to the lower end of the bearing bracket 14. Therefore, it is possible to easily mount the engine E to the mount case 11 without any interference by the torque converter T, thereby providing an excellent assemblability.

The oil pump 41 is attached to the pump housing 40 formed on the lower surface of the bearing bracket 14 and holds the pump cover 42. Therefore, the bearing bracket 14 supports not only the torque converter T but also the oil pump 41, thereby simplifying the support structure of the oil pump 41.

When the operation of the engine E is terminated, also the operation of the oil pump 41 is terminated, so that in the pressure response valve 58, the pressure of the valve chamber 60 is decreased and the valve body 61 is closed by the set load of the valve spring 63. This causes the outlet oil passage 54 b to enter the blocked state, and prevents the oil from flowing from the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T into the oil tank 22, thereby keeping the circulation circuit 28 filled with the oil. Therefore, it is possible to enhance the responsiveness of operation of the torque converter T.

Because a part of the second oil supply passage 52 is the vertical hole 52 b which is formed at the central portion of the upper output shaft 20 a and whose upper end communicates with the circulation circuit 28, the structure of the second oil supply passage 52 can be simplified. Further, when the engine E is not operated, the vertical hole 52 b prevents the oil from flowing back from the circulation circuit 28 into the oil pump 41.

The present invention is not limited to the above described embodiment, and various modifications in design can be made without departing from the subject matter of the present invention. For example, the oil tank 22 may be divided into a section for storing working oil for the torque converter T and a section for storing lubrication oil for the engine E, and oil suitable for each purpose is stored in each section. Further, the power may be input from the engine E through a reduction gear into the torque converter T, and the power may be transferred from the torque converter T through the reduction gear into the output shaft 20. 

1. A vertical power unit comprising: an engine which has a vertically arranged crankshaft; a vertically arranged output shaft provided below the crankshaft; and a torque converter which is disposed between the crankshaft and the output shaft, and transmits power from the crankshaft to the output shaft, wherein the torque converter is arranged so as to be offset from the crankshaft toward a cylinder block of the engine; a transmission device is provided between the crankshaft and the torque converter; and the output shaft is arranged coaxially with the torque converter.
 2. The vertical power unit according to claim 1, further comprising an oil reservoir case provided between the transmission device and the torque converter to receive a lubrication oil flowing down from the engine for lubricating the transmission device.
 3. The vertical power unit according to claim 2, further comprising: an oil tank provided below the torque converter to store oil which is supplied to the engine; and an oil passage provided apart from the torque converter so as to return the oil in the oil reservoir case to the oil tank.
 4. An outboard engine system comprising: a casing coupled to a swivel case via a swivel shaft; an engine mounted in an upper part of the casing such that a crankshaft of the engine is vertically arranged and a cylinder block of the engine faces in a direction opposite to the swivel shaft; a torque converter; a vertically arranged output shaft connected to the crankshaft through the torque converter; a horizontally arranged propeller shaft provided below the output shaft; and a forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism for providing a connection between the output shaft and the propeller shaft; the torque converter, the output shaft, the propeller shaft and the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism being disposed in the casing, wherein the torque converter is arranged so as to be offset from the crankshaft toward a cylinder block of the engine; a transmission device is provided between the crankshaft and the torque converter; and the output shaft is arranged coaxially with the torque converter. 